Latest news with #JosephNgSoonSiang
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
More than 150 mule accounts used for online gambling frozen in Penang, says chief minister
GEORGE TOWN, May 22 — Police have frozen a total of 150 mule accounts used for online gambling in Penang, involving RM32 million between 2023 and this year. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the police have conducted Ops Dadu continuously to bust illegal gambling and scam syndicates. 'There were 2,681 arrests by the police involving 2,337 online gambling cases with 1,390 charges in court in 2023 and 1,810 arrests involving 1,510 cases with 1,084 charges in court in 2024,' he said in reply to a question by Joseph Ng Soon Siang (DAP - Air Itam) at the state legislative assembly on the online gambling and scam cases in Penang. He added that this year, up to March, a total of 542 arrests were made involving 485 cases, while 255 charges in court were filed. Chow said the federal government has amended the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to introduce stronger penalties against cybercrimes, including online gambling and digital scams. 'The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has blocked thousands of online gambling sites,' he said. He noted that 6,381 sites were blocked between 2020 and 2022. 'MCMC has also terminated over 212,000 phone lines that were used to send spam related to gambling and scams,' he said. He said the police are working with MCMC, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and local governments to conduct joint raids and operations. He added that electricity and water supplies were also cut off at premises involved in illegal gambling activities. 'The government has conducted awareness programmes through various platforms to educate the public on the dangers of online gambling and cyber scams,' he said. He said similar awareness programmes were also implemented in schools to educate students on this matter. He acknowledged challenges in dismantling these online gambling syndicates, as they use multi-layered structures to avoid detection and enforcement action. 'The government is urging social media platforms to invest in AI to speed up the process of identifying and removing illegal gambling sites,' he said. He added that compulsory licensing for social media platforms was aimed at increasing accountability and easing enforcement action against illegal content.
New Straits Times
22-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Over 150 mule accounts frozen, RM32mil seized in Penang gambling crackdown
GEORGE TOWN: Ongoing efforts to combat illegal gambling and online fraud continue to yield positive results, with police having successfully frozen more than 150 mule accounts in the state, involving over RM32 million in illicit funds. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (DAP – Padang Kota) said the freezing of these accounts formed part of the authorities' decisive actions, particularly through continuous enforcement operations such as Ops Dadu, aimed at dismantling online gambling syndicates and cyber fraud networks. "Police are conducting ongoing operations like Ops Dadu to cripple gambling and scam syndicates," he told the state legislative assembly today. He was responding to a question from Joseph Ng Soon Siang (DAP – Air Itam), who asked about the steps taken by the authorities to address gambling and fraud-related crimes. Chow said that in 2023, a total of 2,337 complaints related to online gambling were recorded, resulting in 2,681 arrests and 1,390 charges being brought against suspects. "For 2024, the number of cases declined to 1,510, with 1,810 arrests and 1,084 charges filed. "As of March 2025, 485 cases have been recorded, leading to 542 arrests and 255 charges," he added. He said the state government remained committed to working closely with all enforcement agencies to ensure illegal activities were tackled comprehensively, safeguarding the welfare and security of the people of Penang.
